My 1958 Mercedes-Benz Type 180a Ponton

This is a discussion on My 1958 Mercedes-Benz Type 180a Ponton within Post-War, part of the Vintage Cars & Classics in India category; Originally Posted by the mole
Nice clean job, does the flooring pattern look different than stock. Post some more pics ...

That is a VERY VERY clean repair of body you have got done Prithvi. Is thsi your car or someone elses.

This should serve as a benchmark for restoration quality for others attempting bodywork.

Going by how bad your car was when the work started its an amazing transformation.

Also one quesion there looks to be provision for two spares in teh boot going byteh indentations in the boot floor, did these cars actually have two spares ?

Hi Wasif,

The first pics are of my car, the other pics are of other cars. What do you think of the work of my car? The 2 wheel wells came in all pontons and some had 2 spares like Amol's though this was a rare extra paid option.

The first pics are of my car, the other pics are of other cars. What do you think of the work of my car? The 2 wheel wells came in all pontons and some had 2 spares like Amol's though this was a rare extra paid option.

Regards
Prithvi

Prithvi.

You car is turning out great too. If its being done at the same place by the guys wo did that other car then I am sure its gonna turn out right !

Could you please share the step by step process involved in floor board preparation after the tinkering was done. Also the products used and approx cost?

The outcomes sure is brilliant, one of the best i have seen

cheers
Jaggu

Hi Jaggu,

I would be glad to give a step by step write-up:

1) First, all surface rust on both new and old sheet metal should be sand papered off thoroughly. After this, with a clean cloth, apply evenly a Metal Phosphate converter, and allow it to dry for around half an hour. After drying, this will become a whitish grey layer. Then with a clean cloth, thoroughly clean the Phosphate layer and ensure that the panels are smooth and do not have any dust, rust on them. Cost of Metal Phosphate converter is anything between Rs.190 for good Indian makes to about Rs.500 for US brands such as Loctite.

2) If there are any closed sections like there was on my car, which won't be accessible after welding them back on, apply a coat of red lead, brush application will do. This is quite an inexpensive compound.

4) After this, close all the panel gaps which are present with an Auto body Sealant. I used 3M Autobody Sealant, which cost Rs.800 for one canister, though I will be requiring 2 of these for my car.

5) Ensure that all solvents such as Thinner etc. are top notch quality and strictly follow the mixture ratios. Often, bad results are caused due to poor quality solvents and wrong mixing ratios.

6) After all this, spray on the final coat of paint, and make sure it is also en Epoxy based paint. Cost of Epoxy based paint should be around Rs.600-700 per litre.

7) If your chassis has inaccessible closed sections like mine, use DINITROL Cavity Wax, which you can spray by drilling holes in the chassis. Cost of 1 can is Rs.1500.

All these when done right, will ensure that your classic car will not rust for years to come, and will add to your sense of satisfaction when the car is completed.

Total cost for all these compounds is: Approx. Rs.4000/-

Oh, just got back from the radio repair shop, my radio, which had stopped working thanks to my faulty experimentation, is now working! It sounds great, better I would say than most modern transistorised units, and the warmer it gets, the clearer the sound.

Excellent Write-Up and excellent work. Just went through all the post and the links given. Prithvi, I must say, this is pure love and dedication. After reading your restoration process, I remembered My Uncles BUG, which was left to Die, just because non of us were willing to put in this amount of work on getting her back to Life...

Now i wish i had the same amount of Dedication you, kasli & Many others who put in so much effort in Keeping these Ageless Beauties alive.

Your Work has made me make up my mind to find my Uncles Bug and bring her back to life. This would be on cards during my next visit back Home.

I have just become the proud owner of this brand new Webasto complete roof kit from E-Bay! This is something that I have always wanted for my car and am glad that I chanced upon it in time. I kept awake nearly half the night to bid for this item! Please see the following pics of the item and details.

Regards
Prithvi

"Sunroof kit from famed English coach builder Webasto. Installation was never started, and believe the kit to be complete. Kit is marked Mercedes 190 Ponton Saloon. All materials are top quality. Mercedes style perforated headliner material is white, heavy canvas material is Navy Blue. A kit like this prices out at around $1000. This is offered at NO RESERVE. Shipped UPS Ground for $80."

This restoration is truly an inspiration. Congrats to you Prithvi on your dedication to restore this car to such high standards. I am very impressed and hopefully can replicate this quality using your standards as a reference point

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbz180

I would be glad to give a step by step write-up:
Regards
Prithvi

Thanks a ton for this note. All the time we keep debating on the various options. However reading your note and relating it back to the pictures made things very easy to understand.

Blue eh? now You will have to colour your car to go with the roof top, even a Silver will look great, but that was original only for the 300SL and 190Sl.

Amol,

I wonder how come DB never offered silver as an option on the sedans? The 190SL and 300SLs could be had with these but not the saloons. Come to think of it, when they had Metallic Blue, Green and Strawberry pink of all colours available, why not silver or champagne?